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6.12. Guideline 6/12

Guideline related to: Annex I section 3.1.2

Question: In the context of approval of welding procedures and personnel, what is meant by “the third party must perform examinations and tests as set out in the appropriate harmonised standards or equivalent examinations and tests”?

Answer: Where the directive refers to equivalent examinations and tests it is required that suitable and sufficient tests are conducted to determine the same range of technological properties as those in the harmonised standards. Where similar tests have already been conducted that establish a particular property but the precise testing conditions vary from those in the above standard, there is no requirement to repeat the test. However, those technological properties which are not the subject of these similar tests shall be added to the testing schedule. If for example the impact property in the weld has already been tested but not the heat affected zone (HAZ), this latter remains to be tested.

As long as there are no harmonized standards for the approval of welding procedures or personnel, it is appropriate (according to guideline 6/8) to follow the "welding section" of harmonized product standards, EN 13445 (unfired pressure vessels), 13480 (piping), 12952 (water tube boilers) and 12953 (shell boilers) for respective fields of application. These standards use as a basis for qualifying welding procedures standard EN 288 and for personnel standard EN 287.

Note 1: EN 287 and EN 288 series, in the version valid in May 2002, are not harmonized standards.

Note 2: Some properties, such as those below, may not be sufficiently dealt with in EN 288 in the context of particular applications: - Yield strength - Impact toughness - Elongation - Micro-structure

The directive states that “the properties of permanent joints must meet the minimum properties specified for the materials to be joined unless other relevant property values are specifically taken into account in the design calculations”.

Note 3: The current version of ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel code Section IX is another example of where properties are not sufficiently dealt with for some applications in order to comply by itself with the PED (e.g. impact property in the HAZ). Furthermore, it does not require that the tests and examinations shall be performed under the responsibility of a third party (see also guidelines 6/1 and 6/4).

Accepted by WPG on: 2003-09-03

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Accepted by Working Group "pressure" on: 2003-11-03

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6.13. Guideline 6/13

Guideline related to: Annex I section 3.1.3.

Question: For pressure equipment in categories III and IV, can Non-Destructive Testing personnel holding qualifications other than those satisfying criteria of the harmonised standards (e.g. EN 473:2000 General principles for qualification and certification of NDT personnel) be approved by Recognised Third Party Organisations (RTPO) notified by a member state under Article 13 paragraph 1?

Answer: Yes.

NDT personnel certified under standards, other than the harmonised standards, may be approved by a RTPO provided it is satisfied that certification criteria equivalent to the harmonised standards have been met, and that the scope of certification is relevant to the testing of permanent joints in pressure equipment.

A RTPO may sub-contract part of its work, within the provisions of the New Approach guide, but shall keep the full responsibility and issue the approval. The approval of the personnel shall be done by a RTPO on an individual basis.

Note: Approval of an individual solely on the basis of a certificate issued by another body where no contractual arrangement exists with the RTPO does not fulfil the requirement of the Pressure Equipment Directive.

Accepted by WPG on: 2003-12-17

Accepted by the Working Group "pressure" on: 2004-03-17

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6.14. Guideline 6/14

Guideline related to: Annex I sections 3.1.1 and 3.1.2

Question: Does any welding operation on a pressure bearing component have to require a qualification of the welding procedures and of the welders/welding operators?

Answer: Yes, when the weldment can create a pressure hazard on the pressure bearing component.

Examples of welding operation for which qualification is required according to Annex I section 3.1.2 include:

1) Welding of a lifting lug on a pressure bearing chamber; 2) Welding of an attachment to a valve body; 3) Welding of reinforcing pads for nozzles; 4) Repair by welding on a chamber before placing on the market; 5) Major welding on a casting during production.

Examples of welding operations for which qualification is required according to Annex I section 3.1.2, unless the hazard analysis demonstrates that there is no pressure hazard, include:

1) Minor welding on a casting during production; 2) Buttering of a tubesheet; 3) Overlay welding on a pressure chamber (anticorrosive, wear

coating…).

Accepted by WPG on: 2004-12-16

Accepted by the Working Group "pressure" on: 2005-01-19

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6.15. Guideline 6/15

Guideline related to: Annex I section 3.1.2

Question: Where approval of operating procedures for permanent joining is required by the PED and the approval is granted on the basis of a document other than a harmonized standard, should this approval explicitly mention the PED?

Answer: Yes.

The approval certificate should also indicate the tests performed in addition to those in the document used for approval.

If certificates do not include a reference to the PED, the application of the last paragraph of Annex I section 3.1.2 shall be checked through the detailed examination of the WPQR (Welding Procedure Qualification Record).

Accepted by WPG on: 2012-04-24

Accepted by Working Group “pressure” on: 2013-03-07

Remark: Reservation by Sweden